where do we go from here 17: fated
by zantha19
Summary: Something's are fate, they are just meant to be no matter what happens. Aang finds out the one thing in his life that will never change. You can go back change your actions, but something will never change. However life turnes out. Now being rewritten.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey. Thank you for reading. The story line is a little more complicated than any of the other parts, so if there is anything that isn't clear please pm me or review and I will try to make it clearer. So you can enjoy the story. I am saying this as I don't think I am a good enough writer to make my idea clear. I hope that you like it. By this point I think that you would have had to have read at least the part of the story before this one. For it to make sense.**

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Once Toph was strong enough to travel, and not just saying she was, Aang took them to the village at the southernmost point in the earth kingdom. They stayed there for almost half a year. Neither of them really wanting to be around people. They did have responsibilities that they couldn't stay hidden away from forever. There was a limit to how long two such important figures could stay away from the world from. That limit was starting to run out. Neither had said anything at first, but they both knew. Felt it, getting closer. Then day when they had to face it all.

"What can you see."

The sun had set over the horizon hours ago. Toph stood standing outside of the small house they were staying in. Her jaded eyes seemed to be focused on something on the horizon line, where the land met sky, but Aang couldn't see anything in front of her that would be of any real interest to her.

"There are two trees over there. Their root are intertwined."

The two intertwined trees had taken her interest, as they were both well over a hundred years old. They had seen so much, generations coming and going, war and peace. They had been connected, bound to each other for most of that time. Longer than any other living thing she ever knew of. There was something comforting in this connection. There was also something sad about it, something that she didn't quite understand.

As she had spoken she had become aware of Aang's arms wrapping themselves around her waist, and his head resting on her shoulder. This was the closest they had been in a long time. A shiver ran up her spine, as his chest rested against it. It was hard to tell if this was due to nervousness or excitement.

Aang didn't know what had made him do it, he just saw his wife standing in the moonlight, and he just wanted to be close to her. Especially after how distant they had been lately. "We need to sort out the rent, for this place. How much longer do you want to stay."

He wanted to bite back the words as soon as he said them. This was the closest moment they had had in half a year, and that was what he choice to say. Bring things back to reality. Why didn't he just say something like I love you, you look beautiful. Better yet he could have said nothing. Just enjoyed the moment, the intimacy.

Toph didn't answer right away as she took in the implications of what he said. The thought of having to face people again was not a pleasant one. She had been talked about since she became a known figure after the war, she was used to it that didn't make it any easier. This was so different too. People would no look at her with pity, like they used to, like her father looked at her.

"We need to face the world at some point. Better to get it over with."

Just like Aang, she for an unknown reason found herself acting without thinking. Crossing her arms, taking hold of Aang's arms, and leaning her head on his. Creating more of a connection, intimacy between them.

Aang turned his head to kiss her check. "If you're sure." She nodded a little, before leaning further back into his supporting presence.

They stood in the same position for a few minutes, neither wanted to lose their reacquired closeness. Toph felt his heartbeat against her back, which rested on his chest. With his hands resting light on her stomach, Aang felt every breath that she took in or out.

In bid to prolong this moment for as long as he could Aang spoke again. "Where should we go." He tried to make his voice sound as light as he could. Like it was a big adventure.

This question Toph answered almost right away "I need to go back to the academy, and the next meeting of the four nations will be held in Ba Sing Sa soon…."

"Are you ready for that, being there again seeing everyone." Aang tried to get a good look at Toph's face as she answered, but her hold on his arms held him in place.

"I have to be. I don't have a choice." She felt his eyes on her, so you turned in the opposite direction to avoid him seeing her face.

He released his hold on her waist, and lifted his arms taking hold of her shoulder. Slowly he turned her round to face him. Surprisingly she let him guided her movements. "You don't always have to be the strong one, you can fall apart too. I will be the strong one for you when you do."

She placed a quick gentle kiss on her husband's lips "Thank you...but if I stop, let myself fall apart ever...I won't be able to move on. Pull myself back together. I have to keep going, not let my..."

"That is what I am meant to do, I'm your husband. I should be able to put you back together."

For the first time in a very long time, a faint smile appeared on the grand master earthbenders face "You are the only thing that has kept me going this long, through everything."

Toph for only the second time in half a year placed a kiss on her husband's lips. This time it was deeper, and lasted longer. It was the first real kiss they had shared for a long time. As they deepened the kiss, Toph wrapped her arms around Aang's neck. Forcing his hands to leave her shoulders, and lower to wrap around her waist. He held on to her more tightly. No longer scared that she was going to break at the lightest touch.

When they slowly pulled apart, Toph placed her forehead against Aang's. Each letting out a small breath of air. She bit her lower lip, trying to stop a real smile from crossing her face. Her eyes, without her knowing gave him a look that he hadn't seen from her in almost a year.

"Are you sure."

"Yes."

They were a good mile away from anyone, and yet they found themselves whispering. They were both scared to speak to loudly, in case it broke the fragile intimacy that had been created between them. If one or eh other said to much, the wrong thing than they could end up undoing all the progress that had made just now.

"I want to be close to you again, I want to feel something. Instead of feeling numb."

The whole time she spoke Aang felt her heart rate getting faster, as she took a few small steps towards him. Till their chests were pressed against each other. He felt the same way she did. He just wanted to be close to her again, to feel alive, but he saw her more as a fragile flower, like her name now. If she ever found out how much he saw her that way, she would never forgive him. There where monument when he saw a spark of her real strength still there. They were what gave him hope.

Tilting his head up, he captured her lips in his. Lifting up a hand, her touched side of her face. As he pulled back, his hand ran through her hair. Her hands remained around his neck, holding tightly onto the neck of his robe now. Aang didn't say anything after that, her head moved slight again, towards his. He in one quick move, swept her of her feet and cared her back to the small house. They were reminded of their first night as man and wife. Toph rested her head in the crook of his neck, pulling herself closer. She was now able to hear his heartbeat clearer. Beating still in perfect rhythm with her own.


	2. Chapter 2

The meeting of the four nations was a twice yearly event, where the four ambassadors meet to discuss important topics of the nations. As it was a twice annual event there was never very much to talk about, so they were normally long and drown out. Toph, Aang, Zuko and Katara had been given the job of representing their nations, as ambassadors after the war. None of them had really wanted the jobs, but they saw it was a way to stay in contact. When Aang left it was just the three of them, then he returned, and Toph refused to go to the meetings to avoid him. Zuko could not remain ambassador of the fire nation as he was now the fire lord. And when Katara marred Zuko, Sokka became the ambassador for the water tribes. Toph and Aang were the only two who still held their titles. This would not be for very long however. Toph had been planning to relinquish her title for a while now/ se planned to bring it up at the next meeting.

The meeting this time had been the shortest on record, as no one really knew how to act towards each other. Katara and Zuko had come as well, even thou they didn't have to. Toph had done her best to make everyone see that she was ok, but that was a lie. They knew her to well by now to fall for it. It was still a skill that she was able to almost full, the people that knew her the most at first. As part of her act she didn't say anything about her planes. They would just see her as being weak, as least that was how she felt.

To her surprise Toph found she didn't find them worrying and tip-toeing around her annoying. This was mainly due to the fact that it kept them at a distance; she wasn't ready to be part of their weird family again just yet. She did notice that they hadn't brought their children with them on this trip. As if being in the same room as a child or people who had children was going to set her of crying uncontrollably.

Their extended family all left the day after the meeting, leavening the avatar and his wife in their small house next to the palace. Katara was expecting her and Zuko's third child. They found out a while ago but decides not to tell Aang and Toph. How do you tell a couple, that are practically family who just lost a baby, you are having another baby. Katara knew that Toph would find out anyway, weather she told her or not. If she did know she never said anything

Aang was standing a few feet outside his house, watching the sunrise. It was a very cold morning even for this time of year. He became aware of a set of footsteps walking towards him. He didn't need to turn round to know who it was. Toph was normally wake before he was anyway.

"How are you." She stood by his side. Casting her sightless eyes in the direction he too was gazing at.

After a few seconds of silence Aang turned to look at Toph "You're shaking."

She was paler than normal, and was indeed shaking. She was wearing a long green silk robe over her night dress, but that wasn't enough to keep out the cold. Aang unwound the extra robe he was wearing, and wrapped it around Toph. He pulled her closer as he rubbed her arms to warm her up.

In a bid to get him to answer her question, Toph took hold of the robe he was still wearing at his chest. She looked him right in the face, to the best of her ability. "Aang." Her tone was gentle, but firm.

"Yeah, I am fine."

She didn't believe him; she didn't have to be on the ground to know he was lying. That made what she was going to say harder. She took a step forward resting her forehead on Aang's.

"Aang...I think...I might be...pregnant." He took his hands of her shoulders as if she was burning him.

He was at a loss for words. It hadn't even been a year since her last pregnancy. How could this happen, this was too cruel. He had just about got his head around the idea that they were probably not going to ever have a child. Because if Toph got pregnant there was a very good chance she wouldn't survive the birth. The wound she had sustained when she was stabbed four years ago and a heart defect inherited from her father's family made sure of that.

"What do you... do you know... for sure."

"No, it's too early to know for..."

Toph winced, as she placed a hand to her stomach, dropping the robe Aang wrapped around her to the ground.

"Toph, what's wrong." Aang took hold of her left hand, and place his right one on her back.

Toph had been having these pains for a few days, it was what had alerted her to the possibility she maybe pregnant. The thought of going through it all again scared her to death, but she knew that Aang as the last airbender had an obligation to continue the air nomads. A few people that showed signs that they could maybe airbended if trained wasn't going to cut it in the long run.

She got the feeling that maybe the spirits were trying telling her something. She wasn't meant to have a long life. Her purpose was to give Aang a child, even if that killed her.

Holding on to his hand tighter she answered him. "I'm fine, just stay with me."

She didn't know why she had said that, it just came out. From a fear that he was going to leave her, and she needed him here, now.

Before Aang could reassure her, that he wasn't going to leave her, she almost doubled over in pain. He had never her seen her in real pain before, it scared him more than he had ever been in his life. A few minutes ago he had thought the spirits where cruel, now he thought they were evil, if they were going to take Toph away from him.

With very little effort, as she was so small, Aang lifted his wife off the ground, and cared her into the house. He lay her down on the bed. He wanted to go to the palace to get a healer, but Toph instead she felt better, so there was no need. She did allow him to make her some tea, infused with an herb that helped people to sleep. In honesty Aang put more of the herb in than was required. Toph drank it, knowing what he had done.

Once she was asleep Aang left the house, he walked through the garden that joined there house to the palace. He needed some where quite to sit, and think. He was heading for Toph's cherry blossom tree. He had to stop himself from think of the connection between Toph and the cherry blossoms tragic symbolism.

He sat under the tree, as he began to mediate. He wanted answers, so he was going to the one person that would give them to him. Avatar Roku.

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**I just thought I would make a point in the story clear. The tragic symbolism of cherry blossoms is that they have a short life. They represent who short life is. I'm sure most of you know that, so sorry if anyone take offence. I just thought I would make it clear as it is kind of important. Thank you for reading; I hope you are enjoying the story. Please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for reading. I hope that you are enjoying the story. I will try and by quicker with my up-date with this part. **

**Ayimsilentbunny. Thank you so much. That is such a lovely thing to say. I am so glad that the emotion in the scene was able to come across. **

**Guest. I intend to write a lot more. After this part there are three other parts to go as well.**

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Aang had to concentrate more than he normally had to be able to get in contact with his past life. When he closed his eyes to meditate, he saw her face. She was smiling at first, then a look of pain crossed her face, before tears feel from her eyes. He had to remind himself that she wasn't in any danger, or pain. She was sleeping safely just a few feet away. She was his link to the real world, to enter the spirit world he had to cut that link. At least for now.

When he finally did enter the spirit world, he realised he was somewhere familiar. In the swamp, where he first saw Toph. This time he did not hear any laughing echoing of the foggy air. He started to walk a route he had walked before, what now felt like a lifetime ago. This time when he reached the end of the unpaved path there was no laughing girl to greet him, but anther familiar figure.

"This place is very special to you."

Avatar Roku was standing exactly where, he had first really seen Toph.

"Yes it does."

Aang was trying to remain controlled. He knew if he didn't remain calm then he wouldn't fully understand what Roku was going to say. He would also not be able to make his point clear. And he meant to make his point if things went the way he thought, very clear.

"Are the spirits punishing me, for running away." His voice was calm and cold.

"What makes you think you are being punished." The tone in the older man's voice remained steady, that was annoying Aang all the more. He made it seem like he was not making any sense, that he was acting crazy. When in fact he was calm and knew exactly what he was doing.

"Toph's life is in danger, it is dangerous for her to have child. She could die. I have to rebuild the air nomads to bring balance to the world. I know this. She is my wife. I love her. She is the only one that I would ever have a family with. It is her or no one. You must now that. If it is a choice between her and….."

Roku placed a comforting hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Breath."

Aang knew that he hadn't been making any real sense. He just had to get the words out, say it. He just didn't know how to get the worlds out in a way that would make any sense to anyone but him. To make even this older life of his understand.

"I can't lose her. If she is only a way for me to have a child. If that is all she is to the spirits, then..."

He didn't know how to finish his train of thought. There was no need in the end. It was pretty clear what he would say. What he meant. Her words kept ringing in his head, telling him to be strong. It had been a favourite phrase of hers, when she had been training him. He never really understood what she meant by it, not even now. He just knew he couldn't back down.

"You would turn your back on your destiny." Aang's eye line had fallen to the ground in the slice that followed his words, but was now brought back to face Roku. As he went on to finish what he was going to say. "You wanted to do that once before didn't you. That too was for a girl you clamed to love. She was your destiny you said."

"That was different." He said through gritted teeth.

He hated being reminded of the way he had acted when he thought he was in love with Katara. He had acted like a naive child. He of course stilled loved her. She was a good friend, the best. He still hated to think how stupid he was to have been so focused on her, that he didn't see Toph. That he almost lost sight in the beginning of who he was, and what he had to do. His defence had been simple, but it was the only thing he could think to say in reply.

Roku surprised Aang with what he said next. "It was different." Aang's grey eyes widened. "Her destiny is not to give you a child. It is far more complicated than that, and yet so much simpler."

"What is it."

"You know I can't tell you that." The hint of a smile crossed his face. Warming it a little. "When you pass into the spirit world, for the last time. You will know. If you need to know before, then you will be told."

Aang felt helpless. He had come here to help Toph, and he hadn't been able to do anything. He really knew no more than he had before.

"She would be better off without me."

"Why would you say that."

Roku knew very well where the young avatar was going with his train of thought. He saw that Aang hadn't really come here for answers, he just wanted to someone to listen to him. He was feeling sorry for himself. Things were happening that he had no power over. For someone with as much power and influence as an avatar, even if they never took advantage of it, that could be a hard thing to accept. Feeling powerless.

"I have brought her nothing but pain, and she always forgives me." His head once again fell. "She would be better off if I was dead." Aang knew he was being very self-pitting, she would punch him, and yell at him if she knew he was acting like this

"Would the world be better off without you." Roku was suppressing a lot of anger that was clearly heard in his voice, from showing on his voice.

"After I fought the fire lord, if I had died fighting him, or that I didn't come back before her and Zuko's wedding. Better still if I didn't come back to marry her myself."

"Do you think that if you changed these actions of yours then thing would be better. Things are the way they are for a reason, and not even you, the avatar can change that."

"I did what I was meant to do, I fought the fire lord I won. Now all I care about is my wife, doing whatever is best for her. Even if that meant I am not in her life."

Roku recognised the stubborn streak in Aang. There was no way he was going to get through to him. Words were no enough, not now. Like with most things you have to learn things for yourself. That way they stay with you forever. Love was defiantly the most powerful force in the world. In all its forms it could bring even the avatar to their knees.

"If you really think that the world would be better, if you changed your actions...Then meditate. Focus on what you want to change. Then when you awake the world will be as it will be just as if you changed that action."

"Would I be stuck in that world."

"No you can leave at any time, by entering the spirit world." Once again he placed a hand on Aang's shoulder. "I will leave you now. You have a lot to think about."

After a few minutes Aang sat on the ground, closed his eyes and focused. He thought of what he would change. Which of his actions he would take back, to make life better, for Toph.

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**Hey. I know this chapter is really boring, and badly written, but I need to set things up. I promise from now on the story will be much better, the plot is going to get better. I really didn't know how to write this one, I did the best I could, sorry if it really is that bad. Please keep reading, and reviewing. As this is one of the last few parts of the story then reviews really are important. It will really help me to write an ending that hopefully you will like. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello thank you for reading. I hope that you are enjoying the story.**

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The avatar and the fire lord fought on the day Sozin's comet would hit the earth kingdom. In the end the fire lord won the fight, and the comet hit the entire east of the earth kingdom.

The fire lord now controlled the whole world. What was left of the world. The destruction caused by the comet was beyond anything that anyone could have expected or believed was possible. The fire nation remained intact, but the water tribes no longer existed. The heath from the comet, and the rise in water level caused the South and north poles to be washed away. Like they had never been there at all.

More than half of the earth kingdom remained. An area of 20 to 30 miles around Ba Sing Sa was all that was left. The people from the earth kingdom, and water tribes that survived the comet, where now forced to live in the major city. Ba Sing Sa had now become a prison in all but name. There was a small group just over twenty that lived outside of the city. Toph, Zuko, Katara, Sokka and Suki where part of the group. They didn't try and fight the fire lord directly, that was useless they had lost. There was no going back.

The reason they stayed out of the city, and continued to fight against the fire nation, even in small insignificant ways, was because they couldn't just live there life's like those people did. They couldn't sit around and wait for the end. They were too angry, they had to fight back in any way they could. The rebels dressed in a uniform. They all wore black. To identify which nation they came from they wore pieces of cloth, as sashes or just wrapped around their arms, in the colour of their nations.

After nearly a year of hiding in what was now the north of the earth kingdom, they made their first raid on an out-post. It was ten of them against sixteen of them, only seven where benders. They thought they had an advantage. They had anger, and nothing to fight for, all they cared about was doing the most damage to the fire nation they could. Suki and three others from the group where killed in the raid. They had killed eight, and secured food, so it was consider a victory.

The fire nation solders that lived outside of Ba Sing SA, to keep the people in the city of walls, where given transports of food every twenty days. The people that were trapped in the city walls were given less than half the amount of food given to the solders, even thou they outnumbered the solders a hundred to one.

It was one of the only things they could do to hit back at the fire nation. Take the food meant for the solders, and give it to the starving people in the city. Less than five years after Suki's death, the now group of twenty-seven attacked a food transport. Once they had the food they spilt in to five groups and left in different directions. They were meant to meet at a point in by the wall of Ba Sing Sa where they could get the food in to the people. They stayed there all night, but Katara and the three men she was with never showed up. After ten days they had to accept they had been found and killed.

In the years that fallowed they lost ten more members leavening Toph, Zuko and Sokka, with ten other men. Despite being the only female in the group, and the youngest Toph was seen as the leader. She had achieved the rank of sergeant in the earth kingdom army, so she had the highest military rank of any of the men. She was also the coldest of them all, never showing any emotion. She did this so the others who had lost their families could fall part, when they needed too. Her father and her mother, who she didn't know was really her stepmother had been killed when the comet hit, but she didn't care. The others had loved their families that was the difference.

This world had died, and nothing was going to change that.

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When Aang opened his eyes he was in the middle of a thick forest. As he slowly got to his feet, he became aware of someone running to towards him. The crunching of leafs and twigs underfoot grow closer and closer. He turned to face however it was, but as he tried he found himself surrounded by a cloud of dust, and dry leafs that had lifted from the round.

The leafs suddenly feel to the ground, and the dust formed a tight rope around the avatar. As the last of the leafs feel to the ground he got a look at the person responsible.

"No...it can't be." Her voice was so low he didn't hear her.

It was her eyes that confirmed to him who she was. Her black hair was cut short; it came just to her shoulder. She was wearing a pair of black boots. Shorts, with a piece of cloth wrapped around her waist, a top that had a high collar, and no sleeves, all of this was black. The only colour was a green sash around her waist. On her right arm she wore a long glove that covered almost all of her arm, except her shoulder. On the other arm she wore a black band around her upper arm, and wrist. This meant she must be hiding something under that glove.

"Toph."

Before she could say anything else in response they were surrounded by five men dressed in black, one of them was Zuko.

"Who did you catch." One of the older looking men was asking Toph, but she was still unable to speak.

Zuko understood the situation the second he saw Aang and caught his eye. He was just as shocked as Toph, but he needed to focus on their mission. Years ago he put is trust and faith in the avatar, Aang and was let down. Even if the avatar was back, they had to be careful. They couldn't believe in something, someone if there was the slightiest chance that they could be let down again.

"It's no one important, just take him with us. The important thing is to get to their base, and get Sokka out." Only Toph and Aang knew him well enough to hear the hesitation in his voice.

A few days earlier Sokka had been taken prisoner by the fire nation on another raid that went badly. They had to believe he was still ok, despite what had happened in the past. He would be more useful to the fire nation alive to give them information, but they had to act fast. Their patience would only last so long.

As he had spoken Zuko moved caerlufully towards Toph. He placed his arm around her shoulder, giving her support when he reached her. Even thou Aang knew there was nothing to it, and this wasn't his Toph, he felt the sudden need to run over and pull Zuko's arm off her.

"You four go on head and scout. Zuko and I will catch you up. We need to know more about this guy." There was an authority in her voice that Aang had never heard before.

Once the other four men left, she realised the dust that held Aang. Before he could move or say anything, she came at him so quickly he almost fell over, before she pushed him against a tree. She pulled a dagger out of her sash and held it to his throat.

"What the hell is going on...what are you."

The look of rage in her eyes made him want to pull her close, but she would never let him.

"It's me...Aang, it's really me." He was going to have to tell them more than that, but if they saw him as really being there that was start. It was a lot to take in all at once, and he himself didn't fully understand it all.

"Your dead...I felt it, you died."

The rage in her eyes was washed away by tears, that she didn't let fall. It was the closest to crying she had been in years, but she was not going to fall apart now. Like Zuko she understood how important it was not to give in to ideas of hope or faith. There was just the world they lived in, nothing more or less.

"It's hard to explain, but I am really here."

She knew he was telling the truth. She gave a small nodded, letting Zuko know he was telling the truth. Taking a step back, she put the dagger, back in her sash. Zuko again walked next to Toph, place his hand on her shoulder

"We can deal with this later. Now we have to get Sokka, before he is taken to the fire nation or killed."

"Yeah." she place her hand over Zuko's, before turning to face him "Let's go" He kissed her on the top of her head "Come on" She was now facing Aang who followed their lead as they ran in the direction the others had taken.

It was clear that there may be something between Toph and Zuko. They had always been close, they had almost been married after all. Aang didn't think it was possible to be this jealous, he was watching his wife and his friend acting like a couple and there was nothing he could do about it. Because here she wasn't his wife. Here he was died, she moved on. Not that she had anything to move on from.

After they had been running for a few minutes, they meet up with the rest of the group. They were hiding behind a range of rocks, a few feet away from a port. Toph knelled down, placing both her hands on the ground.

"He's in a cell, underground. There is one guard. Four on the top floor. You two go back, make a escape route for us. You three distract the four guards. I'll get Sokka out. Stay here, wait for us to get out, then follow us." The last part was directed solely towards Aang.

Before he could say anything, they had left. He wasn't used to being on the side lines, watching the action. He counted as Zuko moved to the left the stone house, followed by the four guards. Once they had done their part, Toph moved forward. Slipping in through the main door. He remains still and waited for Toph and Sokka to come out.

He waited for what seemed like a life time. He didn't know much about the group, but he highly doubted they would think to come back to help her, Zuko would that was worse in a way. He hated this feeling of jealously. Before he could think himself out of it he ran in after her, if any one was going to help her it would be him.

The house was empty, he made his way to a trapdoor in the center of the room. The trapdoor lead down onto a long corridor that opened on to a hall with two cells, one was occupied. He saw Toph at the end of the corridor, she was knelling down. Her right hand was held at shoulder level, she seemed to be moving her fingers in small movements. When he looked closer he saw the guard was moving towards the occupied cell, to unlock it.

It seemed her pinkie and thump controlled his legs, her ring and index fingers controlled his arms. The middle finger was straight, controlling his head, stopping him from talking. She was moving the guard like a puppet. He had only seen her use bonebending a few times, but never like this. She hated using it, having that control over some one. This wasn't like her, she was different colder.

Once his cell was unlocked and the guard had been thrown against a wall knocking him out. Sokka left the cell and walked to the fallen guard. Picking up the guard's sword then ran towards Toph, as she stood up to meet him "I knew you couldn't live without me, I promise I won't tell Zuko." As he spoke he pulled her into a hug. This confirmed to Aang, Toph was with Zuko.

As they ran to leave the house they meet Aang, almost ran into him, as he waited from them at the trapdoor. He offered Toph a hand to get out, as she wasn't tall enough to reach.

"I thought I told you..."

"I couldn't just wait for you, you could have needed help."

Sokka hadn't said a word, he was at a loss for words, that had never happened to him before. All he could get out was "He can't be..."

"We can figure that out when we get to the camp, right now we need to get out of here." Toph said, growing more frustrated as she went on. They badly needed to get out of here very soon.

The three of them made their way as fast as they could after the rest of the group. When they were at least a mile away from the small stone house, that acted as an outpost and prison, Toph stopped in her tracks "Wait...there thirteen of them, coming being us."

Sokka turned round to face where they were coming from, pulling out the sword he recover from the guard before they left, as he did. "Great, I don't have to wait to get my own back."

"No. You have to take him to the camp." She moved closer to him as she continued so only he could hear her. "If it is him, we have to keep him safe." Aang heard every word, even thou she tried to stop him from hearing the last part.

"What about you." Aang was getting tired of being talked about as if he wasn't there, and passed around.

"I have questions I want answered, before I die. Now I can have them answered. I am not going to lose that opportunity. So go, now."

Sokka placed his sword back, and turned to face the direction they were heading towards. He took hold of Aang's arm, to pull him along. As he pulled Aang forward he noticed Aang was looking at Toph's right shoulder, just above the glove, he was sure he saw a patch of burnt skin.

"Don't ever ask about her arm." It was the first thing Sokka said to the avatar. "She'll be fine, she's been through worse." It was clear from the look on his face and tone that he was just as worried about her as he was.

Aang didn't doubt that was true, that was what made it worse.

Toph stood her ground, waiting for the fire nation solders to get there. She took her stanch, continuing to wait.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey. I am sorry that once again it has taken me so long to up-date. My last piece of school work took a bit longer than I thought it would. I still have a bit more work to do but not much. I am going to try and get this part done by the end of the next month, but it maybe a little more than that. I hope that you are enjoying the story.**

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Once the soldiers where close enough, Toph bent the dust and lose earth into a large whip. She quickly sent the whip across the area right in-front of her. Cutting down the trees as it went, taking out more than half of the soldiers as well. She let the remaining soldiers get back on their feet, and closer to her position. Then she spun round on her heels. As she did she sunk herself into the ground.

The soldiers were caught off guard again, as the earth under their feet rose sharply into a mound of earth. When it reached about sixteen feet, it broke into large rocks that feel down on top of them. With the rocks came Toph, as she hit the ground she caused it to sink into a crater. The crater bounced back to flat earth, sending Toph back into the air. She landed back on the flat earth without any real effort.

There were only three soldiers left now, the rest where under the rocks, or buried under the ground. One of the soldier got to his feet, facing Toph. He sent a ball of fire at her; she bent some of the rocks into a shield in-front of her, then sent it straight into the soldier's chest, knocking him back at least five feet. Toph then tried to focus on where the other two soldiers where, but she couldn't pin then down.

The two remaining soldiers specialised in archery, they had made their way up two trees. Ever one in the fire nation army knew about the band of rebels lead by the blind earthbender. They were told the only way to deal with her was to get off the earth. From there safe position they watched her.

She knew she was a sitting duck, but she had to find the last two men quickly. They could catch up to Sokka and Aang. They couldn't let Aang fall into their hands. If that happened the last grains of hope would have slipped through their fingertips like sand. Dropping her stanch, Toph was about to place her hand onto the ground, to get a clearer view.

Before she started to kneel down, she felt something rush to her side where it stopped. Whatever it was, it had stopped Toph from being hit by an arrow. That she hadn't seen coming.

"Are you ok." The sound of pain was clear in Aang's voice, even thou he tried hard to hide it from her. Aang of course had left Sokka, he had to go back and help Toph.

"Idiot."

Shouting the arrow had given him away. A fact that the solider quickly regretted. Toph bent the branches of the tree to wrap around the truck, trapping the soldier. One down one to go.

"Are you going to come out, or am I going to have to find you." She got no response for the last remaining solider. "You are just making me madder the longer you dragging this out for."

The last soldier did the only thing he could thing to do. He sent the largest fire ball he could at Toph, and her friend. Toph was about to block the in-coming attack, when Aang grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her suddenly off the ground.

Aang sent a cutting blade of wind at the tree the last soldier was hiding in, and then pulled it back to carry Toph and himself away on a strong gust of wind. He landed them on the ground when his shoulder couldn't hold up any more. The fire nation archer had been a good shoot, he got Aang right on his right shoulder. The arrow was still in his shoulder, he knew he shouldn't just pull it out, but it was really starting to hurt.

He removed his arm form Toph's waist and lifted it to the arrow. It was a mere inch from the arrow, when she quickly yelled. "Don't pull it out." Toph took hold of his left hand to stop him from moving it any closer to the arrow. "Let me."

She walked over to a tree, and pulled out some plant that was growing at the base. "You have two questions you want to ask me, so just ask them." She wasn't looking at him as she spoke.

"How do you..."

"Heart rate, body language. I can just tell"

She was pulling the petals off a pink flower a few yards away. Her head lowered, but he saw the tiniest hint of a smile as she said her last sentence. She was like Toph when he had first meet her, but she was less feeling than the Toph he knew. She had been hardened, more than the Toph he knew had been. Even thou she was talking to him, Aang could tell she wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying. To get her attention he decided to ask her the risky question first.

"What happened to your arm."

Toph didn't react to the question, she just flopped slightly to the ground in-front of him. "Brave, or stupid." She must have heard Sokka'a warning about that question as they ran ahead of her. "Its brunt, worse than Zuko's face I'm told." She must have decided he was brave. "I keep it hidden, so people don't have another reason to stare at him." For the first time she looked in his direction. "The eyes are bad enough."

Aang slowly sat down in front of her "How did it happen."

"The day the comet hit, after you died. Sokka, Suki and I went after the fire lord. We knew that we couldn't make any difference, the comet had already hit, but we had to do something. I held on as long as I could. Longer than they did." She was speaking so fast, it was clear she wanted to say it as quickly as possible. "He bent a stream of fire at me, I thought it would just hit me. It hit my hand, then he bent it to wrap its way up my arm. I used my other arm to bend an earth spike, knocking him over...I don't remember much after that. I must have pasted out from the pain."

While she had been talking she started to mash the plants and petals into a paste. "I'm sorry." He was about to reach out to take hold of her hand, when she rapidly moved it away.

"The other one."

This was the question Aang really wanted the answer too. "You and Zuko...are you."

Toph sharply lifted her head to make eye contact with him. "I thought you wanted to know what happened to Katara." Aang felt even more of a selfish idiot now. "We've not sure what happen exactly, but we split up after a raid. She never came back." Again Aang badly wanted to reach out to her. "You don't belong here, do you."

Even now she could still see right through him. "What did you want to ask me." He was trying to avoid answering her first question. He didn't have a clue what to say to her. There was no answer to that, no one she would understand.

As he had been thinking of a come back to her question, and coming up with a question of his one. She had ripped a piece of material of the cloth she wrapped around her waist. She then rubbed the paste off her hand and onto the scarp of cloth, and was now kneeling at Aang's right side. "I do, but form the Aang I knew. That's not you."

She wrapped the material and paste around the skin where the arrow pierced it. Her other hand took hold of the arrow. "This is going to hurt. You might want to hold onto something." She didn't give him a chance to hold on to anything, she just pulled the arrow out then with a sharp tug.

"You can let go now."

Aang looked down at his right hand. It was holding onto Toph's right thigh. He must have reached out for something to hold onto when she pulled the arrow out. What he was also shocked at was that she didn't yell at him. He had seen her fight, with no feeling about the people she was fighting, killing in some cases. Now she seemed to be so fragile.

"I don't have any bandages." She now leaded back, to sit facing him again.

"That's fine."

"Why are you here." Again Aang didn't know what to say to her. "If your here to save us all, then you are wasting your time...we're already dead." The coldness in her voice made her words all the more shocking.

Toph had never been on to trust in hope, faith. That wasn't going to change now. In the back of her mind she knew that it wasn't here place to make this choice, about what to do with Aang on her own. In the long run this new Aang, as it was not their Aang could do nothing for them. It was selfish, but she had only saved him so far so she could talk to him like this.

"Us outside of the city, only do this to help those in the city. They have families, we don't. So we get them more food and water. So they can live out the rest of their days as peacefully as possible."

"There has to be something….."

"We are all just waiting for the end!" she as quickly as she had raised her voice, lowered it again and her head. "Those of us without people to take care off hit back to make ourselves feel a little better."

"Does it help." He lowered his voice to match hers, and finally placed his hand over hers.

"No. Not one bit."

"But it's all you have."

Toph was getting scared at how well this almost stranger understood her. "I don't know why, but I think you what to save something, someone. To make up for something you did. This isn't the place to do that. Go where you can." Her free hand rested on top of his.

She after a few seconds removed her hand and was about to get to her feet, to leave him. Before she could, Aang placed both his hands on the back of her head. Then pulled her in to kiss her.

"I love you, I always did."

Toph couldn't help but be reminded off the last time she had seen Aang. They had all been getting ready to split up, for the final battle. He pulled her in for a hug, like they had done with ever one else, but this was different. She was sure he felt it too, she was sure they had all the time in the world to talk about, that she was wrong about.

"Please go."

She could only whisper. She got to her feet, as Aang closed his eyes entering the spirit world. He didn't what to go, to leave her like this, but she was so sure of what she wanted. He couldn't go against her wishes. Shutting it all out, he forced himself to leave.

As she regained control of her senses, Toph felt a large group of soldiers charging her way. The ones that survived her first attack, must have made it back to their outpost sooner than she thought. She had been so sure she had had more time. Like most things she was sure off she turned out to be wrong.

Taking her stanch in-front of the vulnerable Avatar, Toph waited for them. She knew she couldn't hold out against all of them indefinitely, but she didn't have a choice. She was an earthbender, she stood her ground no matter what.

As Toph became close enough for the charging soldiers to see, Aang disappeared. A faint smile crossed her face, they saw it, as it turned to an evil grin.

If this was her final stand then she wasn't going to go out with a fight. She was going to take as many of them with her as she could. She made peace with the inevitable outcome of this fight.

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**I hope you liked it. I would love to know what you think. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey. I hope as always that you are enjoying the story. As there have been no reviews for the last 3 or 4 chapters, I didn't know what you think of this part. I know that it is very different from the other parts. That was why I was worried about this part. I would really like to know what you think.**

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The avatar won, he defeated the fire lord, and stopped Sozin's comet from hitting the earth kingdom, but this victory came at a price.

Aang was able to hold own long enough for Toph, Sokka and Suki to get to him. Toph with a little help from Suki. Till she was unable to carry on, cleaned and banged his wounds, but there was too much internally damage. Not even the highest skilled healer could have saved him. That won't stop Katara from beating herself up about it from the rest of her life.

His last words where to Toph, as Sokka and Suki had gone to look for anyone to help them. When the family of misfits were reunited Aang had passed on, with only Toph by his side. Toph was able to tell when anyone was lying, so to make it fair that she could read people so easily, she made sure she would always be honest with people, but now she lied to all her friends.

She told Katara, that his last words had been to her. That he asked her to tell Katara that he loved her. He wanted her to be happy, no matter what. Zuko that he had more than made up for his past mistakes, he was a true friend. Sokka, he had looked up to him, and not just because he was taller. He hoped to be half the man he is, when he grow up. And Suki, Kyoshi would be proud.

His real last words had been that he didn't what to go. There was so much he wanted to see, and do. Toph thought it best that they didn't know that, it was already too sad. There was no need to make it worse. He was going to be remembered as a hero, who saved the world, that was how his friends should see him too. Instead of a young boy dyeing, with some much still to experience.

There was a huge funeral held in Ba Sing SA, a few days later. The day after the funeral his friends went their separate ways. They would never be all together again.

A week after the avatars death, news spread that the next avatar had been born in the northern water tribe. Katara went to the northern water tribe to be around the new avatar. She would be his waterbending master, and is first Sifu. Sokka and Suki lived on Kyoshi Island, where they married and started a family. Zuko five years later was crowned fire lord, he married Mai, but the love had long since gone.

Toph had isolated herself from everyone completely by the first anniversary of the end of the war. She had learned to bonebend, something that frightened a lot of people. She used it to heal the wounded from the war. Once they were healed, her form of healing was no longer tolerated. She lived in a house on a hill in the earth kingdom. If anyone wanted to find her, to gain the help of her healing, they just had to ask the right person.

This world was in balance, it was starting over again. A new beginning, that the person who had made it possible was not able to see, or share in.

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The first thing Aang saw when he opened his eyes was a large hill in-front of him. He was sitting under a tree. For some reason he found himself walking towards the hill. When he got closer he saw a small house, built on a flat platform in the hill. As he walked he stretched out his arms, and realised that the wound to his right shoulder was gone, there was no scar, no sign that it there was ever a wound there to begin with.

When he reached the bottom of the hill a figure left the house. He couldn't make out any detail, except that the person was female, as they had very long black hair with brads throughout it. They were wearing a yellow waistcoat, with a long trail that came to their knee. Under the waistcoat was a white short sleeve top, and brown trousers that came to the knee. The figure slowly turned to face him, as they became aware of his presence. As she turned and smiled at him, Aang saw her turn into a twelve year old girl in a swamp for just a second.

Toph started to run down the hill towards him. She was running so fast Aang was worried she was going to trip up, and tumble the rest of the way down the hill. When she reached him, she trough her arms around his neck. Holding on so tightly she forced him to lean back a little, lifting her feet off the ground as he did.

When he straightened up he was about to wrap his arms around her, when she quickly pulled away. Her hands remained on the back of his neck. She sled her hands from the back of his neck to rest on his chest. Feeling his heart beating steadily under her hands. Aang looked into her eyes for a split second, before she throw him to the ground.

"You died."

Aang couldn't help but smile, even thou she was yelling at him. She was here, she was alive, and she seemed to be ok.

"What are you smiling at." She of course could not see his face to know he was smiling, but she could hear the hint of a laugh Toph was scared, happy, sad all at the same time. The only thing she could do was yell at him, because she was also mad at him for leavening.

Aang pulled himself onto his feet. "I'm just glad to see you." He saw her take a step back as he spoke; she was clearly not comfortable with him talking to her that way.

She didn't have a comeback for that. Again she found her body moving independently of its self. Her right hand reached out to touch Aang again to make sure he was really there. Before her hand made contact with his face, they were interrupted.

"Help...help."

A women came running out of the forest behind them holding her young son in her arms. "Help...please are you the witch of the east." She was now standing next to them, looking at Toph as she spoke.

"Yes I am." She moved to place her hand on the boy's forehead "He has a fever, take him into the house." She led the way. Aang had not been invited to follow them, but he did so any way.

He knew the story of the witches of the east, Toph had told him years ago when she explained how she learned bonebending. He didn't understand why the women, that had come here for her help, would call her it thou. He thought was meant as an insult.

The boy was laid down on a bed that was pushed against one of the walls. His mother didn't leave his side for a second. Aang found himself leaning against a wall, to stay out of the way. Toph moved over to the bed, and sat down.

Two blankets where placed over the boys feet. She seemed to be concentrating very strongly on something. Her left hand was placed over the boy's heart, and the right on his fore head. She was lowering her body temperature to draw the fever down to his feet, the wormiest part of his body now. Her hand was on his heart to stop the fever from stopping there.

The small house was in total silence till Toph got to her feet a few minutes later. She walked over to a large row of selves, pulled down a bottle of green liquid. Aang noticed that her balance seemed a little off, but said nothing. Two drops of the green liquid was dropped into a cup of water. Once it was mixed together, she made her way back to the boy on the bed. Lifting his head up, she poured the water into his mouth.

"Put two drops of this into a cup of water twice a day, till it's used up." She handed the bottle to the mother. Even thou she couldn't see her face, Toph knew she was giving her a lot of distrust "His body's out of balance, this will help balance it out again." The mother a little hesitantly took the bottle.

Aang wanted to yell at her. Toph didn't have to help her son. She had been the one to ask for her help in the first place. He could tell that Toph was weakened by bring the boys fever down, and yet she was being very polite to the women. This was not like her, not the Toph he knew. This Toph had stopped fighting; she had had enough of it. She used her bending for healing now.

A few minutes later the mother and her son had left and Toph was reorganising the room, doing her best to ignore Aang till she could make sense of it all in her head, when Aang finally spoke "Why did she call you the witch of the east."

"Because I am."

She didn't make any effort to turn and face him.

"I know what that means, why do you let people call you that." He walked towards her, at the other side of the room.

"It's better than the other name they have for me." He was almost by her side, but she still didn't face him.

"What's that."

"Earth angel."

He had heard her called that name before as well, by the soldiers she healed after the war. He knew she hated it, it implied that she was a perfect person, when she saw herself as being as far from perfect as it was possible to be. She turned and walked right passed him, towards the door. She had so many questions, but she didn't want them answered here. The walls felt like they were beginning to close in on her. Making it hard to think clearly.

"I need to get some more plants, you can help." She stopped by the door for a second, then went on.

Aang followed her out of the house, down the hill and into the forest. Every few feet or so she would bend down and pick a plant from the ground, and place it in the bag she had picked up from the table by the door of her house, she now wore around her waist. Aang followed her, at a safe distance.

After picking a red flower, she got back to her feet. She planned on finally saying something, asking one of her many, many questions. Before she was fully standing, she became aware of a man coming towards them. When she was finally standing up right, she stood still, and waited.

Aang was a few feet away when he noticed her freeze to the spot, he was about to ask her what was wrong, but before he could get a word out a loud yell was heard. As an older man ran up behind Toph, with a Dagger in his hand. He was slow, she could have moved, blocked him, but Toph didn't. She let him stand behind her with the dagger at her throat. She didn't even flinch.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey thank you for reading. I am starting to have more free time now, so as I said before I should be able to up-date more often from now on. **

**I'm a Lover not a Hater. I'm not really sure what that is, but thanks. It basically is a, what if story.**

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Aang wanted to ran to her, to help her, but he couldn't. His whole body was frozen like ice. He couldn't even open his mouth, to warn her, or warm the man to get away from her. Not even to shout out that he was there, offer her some feeling of support. The only part of his body he still had control over was his eyes. Which he never taken off of Toph, not for a second. Like him she was also frozen to the one spot. Except he noticed when he lowered his gaze that her right hand was stretchered out. Her fingers pointing out in different directions.

Instead of using bonebending on the man with a dagger to her throat, she was using it to keep him out of it. He never was able to completely understand her, but she always seemed to do know more than he did, so he would have to have faith in her. That didn't stop him from scream out with frustration, inside of his head of course. Why could be so frustrating.

"You are going to pay for what you did." The man was speaking right into her ear, through gritted teeth.

"If you are really going to do that, then why are you still taking." Her voice gave away nothing.

The dagger was pushed closer against her exposed throat. "Your spirit is long since gone, everyone knows that. There is no point in trying to act it now."

"I'm sorry...that your brother died...That I couldn't save him."

"Shut up!" He was now shouting into her ear, causing her to flinch a little. Once he stop shouting he was shocked to find that he was now crying. Tears built up in his eyes, but he stopped them from falling. The dagger was dropped to the earth, and it was followed shortly by its owner "shut up." He did not raise his voice above a whisper this time.

As if he had not just threatened her life, Toph turned to face him, as she knelled down in-front of him. Taking the dagger into her hands, she ran her finger over the blade. It was indeed sharp, it could do some damage. Carefully she reached out her free hand and took hold of his hand, placing the dagger back in his hold.

"I really am sorry."

Aang couldn't see her face, but he could tell by her voice she was close to tears herself now. "You think I don't feel it to, but I do. Every one that I haven't been able to save I feel it. It never goes away. I try and live my life for them as well. That can be heard. So I try to save as many people as I can." She forced a small laugh at her attempt at a joke. To Aang's complete shock, Toph then quickly leaned in and wrapped her arms around the man.

"You have to live your life for your brother, be the best person you can. For him." The man held on to her so tightly Aang was worried he was going to break her. "Would he want this. A life taken in his name." He shook his head violently against her shoulder.

After a few minutes the man pulled back from Toph, so he could look her in the face when he finally spoke again. "You really are an angel. The earth angel...I am so sor..." Before he could finish she leaned in again, and kissed him on the forehead. She pulled back so quickly, it was clear that she had only do that to stop him from saying anymore. She got to her feet slowly, leavening the man on the ground. Alone to think.

As she walked past Aang she took a light hold of his hand, to pull him away, back to the house. It was then that Aang realised that he could move again, and that he probably could have for some time now. It had not looked like it, but she had been in total control of the situation from the very start. She had never been in any danger. As long as she kept him out of sight. He kicked himself a little, he had once again almost put her in danger, without realising it.

He waited patiently till they were in the small house again, and Toph had closed the door gently behind them, before he finally spoke. "Toph, are you ok." He walked over to her, as she stood by the door with her back to him. "That man just..."

"I will be the one to ask the questions." She turned sharply to face him, with anger in her eyes, shining through the tears that she had been finally begun to shed. Her voice was sharp, but still moved towards her, just a little more slowly.

"Can I ask you one question, than I will answer all of yours." She nodded her head a little in answer. His low voice seemed to appease her. "What happened, when I died."

Aang had to find this out, so he could decide what to do next. The guilt he felt for twice leaving her, when she clearly needed him was eating away at him. He wanted so badly to be able to do one thing right for her. He watched her closing as she thought over her answer. For the second time he couldn't help but notice that she was able to take all of this, him turning up out on no were in her stride. He assumed that this was due to the fact that she could tell, unlike anyone else right from the start that it was really him standing in-front of her.

"I don't know how you died; I just know that Sokka, Suki and I found you badly hurt. I tried to clean the cuts, but there was a lot of them...I was left with you. They went to get help." Her eyes hadn't had time to dry yet, and they were watering again. "You were scared, you didn't what to go...I cried...you wiped away a tear...then you….you kissed me...then..."

He could tell the rest. He died leaving her with a million unanswered questions that she knew would never be answered. As well as having to rethink everything that she had come to know about him, and their relationship. As she had been talking he had been slowly moving closer to her. He wanted to pull her close, to comfort her. Hold her in his arms, feel her chest rising and falling against him. Letting him know that he alive. That was the worst part to all of this. Standing right in-front of someone that you are so close to, and feeling so far away from them.

"Why did you kiss me."

For one of the few times in his life, Toph's sightless eyes looked right into his. They were such familiar eyes. He had spent what felt like hours lost in them. There unique jade colour was captivating, if you took the time to really look. Like Toph herself.

"Because I love you."

They were now both moving closer to each other.

"Is that why your back."

"Yes."

Their lips where now only a few inches apart

"Liar"

She slowly pulled away, giving him a look he remembered very well from the early days of their marriage. He hated that look. He never liked what came after that look, but he could never argue with her. It was her look that said they both already knew very well what had to happen, they just didn't like it. So were trying to fight it. She was going to speak the brutal truth now. He sighed as he waited for her to go on.

"You're not meant to be here. You're taller, older than you were when you died. I don't know anything about the spirit world, and all that avatar stuff, but I am sure that's not possible."

Aang didn't know what to say, there was no way to explain this. At least not in a way that she was going too accept. He was going to have to be honest with her. She deserved at least that. After he had so badly messed with her head before he died, and now again.

"I have made a lot of mistakes. I have hurt the person that I care about the..."

"I don't care!" She may not have her fighting spirit, but she was still as strong as he knew her to be. Her words cut sharply through of his pretence. Just like always "You can't run away from your mistakes. Didn't I teach you anything, face things head on." She was right, she normally was.

"What can I do."

She believed that he had come here in some way through the spirit world. There was clearly something that he was not facing. She thought had something to do with maybe moving on or something like that. If so than she couldn't tell him anything. He had to figure whatever it was out for himself. She also had no idea what to say.

He asked this more to his Toph that the one standing in-front of him now. He didn't what kind of answer he was expecting. If h couldn't figure out the answer himself then how was anyone else meant to tell him.

"I'm not going to tell you something you already know."

For a second she looked like a smile was about to cross her face, at how like there old conversations this was. She slipped past him, so she was now facing the door and him. He was about turn and face her, but she spoke first.

"Goodbye Aang."

She spoke just above a whisper, but he heard her clearly. Not turning to look at her, not daring to. He opened the door and left the small house on the hill. When he heard the door being shut behind him, Aang almost spun round and ran after her, back to the house. That sound made it all seem so final, but he didn't turn round. He was going to listen to her for once. He kept walking till be reached the tree he had arrived under. He sat under it again as he thought of the mistakes he had made, and a way he could undo them.

On the other side of the door, Toph sank onto the table in the centre of the room. Her hand gripped the hard wood to stop herself from slid down onto the ground. Her whole body felt weak, drained. When she finally gave in and feel to the ground, she pulled her legs into her chest. She bite her lip to stop herself from crying. Twice she had stopped herself from crying out loud in the past hour, she was not going to give in now. Not anymore than she had by sinking to the ground like this.

There was still so many questions that she wanted answers. Despite that she did feel a little better. Like part of a weight had been lifted from her.

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**Once felt again, thank you for reading. I hope that you liked it. I would as ways love to hear what you think. All input is very welcome. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you for reading. Once again I am sorry that it has been so long. It took me longer than I thought it would it finish up my school work. Luckily it is all done now. I would like to get this part of the story finished by the end of the month, but I don't know if I can get all of it don by then, but that is what I am aiming for. So I hope that you like it. **

**I'm a Lover not a Hater. I think that has to be the point the, the more you try and make things better, the worse you make them. I don't think he has, but he really should have.**

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The war was over, they had won.

After the ball in Ba Sing Sa to celebrate the wars end, the gang went their separate ways. Aang had planned on travelling, staying away for a while. So much had happened in such a short space of time, some distance seemed like the best thing to help make sense of it all. In the end though he was reminded of Toph's words "You have to face things head on" So that is what he did, he stayed.

He and Katara did everything they could to make their relationship work. It take a lot of effort to make a relationship work, last. They wanted it do last, so they worked at it. They had a lot of good times, that made them want to work through the bad times. They were now engaged. They had been for a number of years, life just had a habit of getting in the way.

Sokka and Suki didn't see each other for a few years, while they sorted out their lives. Now they were married and expecting their first child. Like Aang and Katara they had bad times, but they chooce to works though them. What they had seemed like it was worth fighting for.

Zuko was now fire lord. He and Mai hadn't lasted. They tried, they tried very hard to make it work. In the end it seemed that it wasn't meant to be. There was no ill will between the two, just a feeling of sadness and disappointment in themselves.

Toph lives in Ba Sing Sa. Many rumours about her spread throughout the city. At one time it was rumoured that she was engaged to be married to three different men, and secretly married to two others. All of these rumours had no truth to them what so ever.

Politics had now become the main focus of their lives Toph, Aang and Katara where the ambassadors for their nations, and Zuko ruled his. This meant having to set through a lot of long meetings, and a lot of paper work. These things became more interesting when a young lord took control of a large area of the earth kingdom. His name was Danzo, he seemed nice, but there was something Toph didn't trust.

At the last meeting that the group had all attended, she voiced her concerns to her friends. Aang did a little investigation on him. His family had once been the most powerful family in the earth kingdom, till his grandfather was dehorned. The Bei Fongs had used this as an opportunity to gain more power. Sokka thought that this was why Toph didn't trust him, some kind of ancient family grudge. That would have been a reasonable expansion, if Toph didn't hate her family.

There was more to it, and she knew it. As she lived in the same city as he did she did some investigating of her own. She found out that she was right to be suspicious of him. His family were trying to get back there power and influence, by marring him off to a noble young lady. This plan had the potential to undo the work they had done to create balance in the world. The only way that Toph could think to stop this from happening was to marry him herself. It was very easy to make him think that she was interested in him, and even essayer to get his family to agree to the marriage. A part of her enjoyed knowing that this was going to hurt her father much more than it would hurt her.

Her friends hadn't been as convinced that this was a good idea, so she kept them out of it. She went to the fire nation, for Zuko's birthday and told them all then. She did this the night before she was about to return to the earth kingdom. This stopped them from having the chance to talk her out of it. The next morning she got on a boat back to Ba Sing Sa on her own.

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When Aang opened his eyes he was looking out onto the bright blue sea. He was on a boat, heading to Ba Sing Sa. Getting to his feet he walked over to the railing. The deck was almost empty, as the avatar walked along it. Once he got a few feet down the deck, someone linked their arm through his. They pulled quickly him into an outside stairwell. They moved so fast he didn't get a look at them, till they entered the stairwell and were standing face to face.

"What are you doing here."

Toph had her eyes set on him, she was waiting for her to say something. He had nothing. She had her hair pulled back, he hadn't seen her wear her hair up in years. She wore a brown robe held in at the waist by a large gold, and cream coloured belt. He noticed she was wearing her real mother's necklace. In this world she knew the truth. That had to be a positive.

"I told you all, I didn't want you there."

Aang placed his hands on her shoulders, as he looked deeply into her eyes. "Toph, tell me what is going on."

In a move she had used on him a number of times, Toph lifted her arms up in-between his, and then pulled them apart, pushing Aang's hands off her shoulders. "Are you feeling ok." Despite the aggression in her action, there was really concern in her voice. He could see it in her eyes too. She clearly just wasn't used to Aang being that close to her. For her it didn't feel right.

"No." Aang feel back against the wall behind him. A half laugh escaped his lips.

Despite being mad at him for going against her wishes, Toph was still worried about her friend. Something was really wrong with him. She placed a cool hand to his forehead. "Well you're physically fine, as far as I can tell." She took her hand from his head for a second, before clenching her fist to hit his head with. "Must be something wrong with that air head of yours."

Aang started to laugh, he laughed so much it hurt. He hadn't laughed like that in years. She was Toph, like he knew her before she got to close to him. He tried to apologize, but the words didn't come out.

"Idiot." Toph muttered under her breath.

She moved to walk away, but Aang took hold of her hand. Even thou he was still laughing a little, he was still able to hold on to her hand, no matter how hard she tried to pull away. "Are you quit finished." She but on her most genteel voice. That just made him laugh harder again. "I give up." Using her free hand she landed a hard punch to the avatars left arm.

He suddenly let her hand go, so he could rub his sore shoulder with it. "Sorry." As he composed himself his gaze left her and he notice land appearing in the distance "That's not Ba Sing Sa."

"No it's a port in the north, I forget the name. We are docking there today, to pick up some more passengers."

"Can we take a walk." He didn't wait for an answer, he just left the stairwell and started to walk along the deck. Toph followed, walking at his side. "I don't know what is going on. Can you please fill me in."

There was something not right about him, he was telling the truth, but there was something else. Something very different. "What do you what to know." The best she thought she could do was see how it all played out. What he was going to ask her next. Then decide what to do after that.

"What don't you what us to be there for."

Toph stopped dead in her tracks. Now very worried about her friend. "I'm getting married." She now moved to lean on the railing. "You all think I should stay out of it, but I can't let him, and his family try and take control of the earth kingdom. Not after what we all went through to get this far."

What she said sounded familiar. When he asked her why she had been prepared to marry Zuko, she had the same explanation. She would do anything to keep what they had been through from being turned into something worthless. He moved to stand next to her, but as he was about to lean on the rail she pulled back and walked back the way they had just come. They were coming into port, so the side of the deck they were on, was going to get very crowded soon with people coming and going.

The other side of the deck was completely empty. Toph took up a position leaning on the rail as she had done on the other side. They remained silent during this time. Each trying to piece together what they could from the other to try and explain what was going on with them. Neither was having much luck.

"Toph…."

"Ah, this is where you got too."

Aang had been interrupted by a pampered looking man. He was making his way over to Toph. He moved his hand up to reach her back. Before he could make contact, Toph spun round to face him.

"I am not interested, now leave us alone." You could almost taste the distain in her voice. Aang worried he was going to start laughing again.

The guy did not take the hint. "You are a delicate flower, you need a real man to protect you." He took one large step closer to Toph. Who kneed him right where it would hurt him the most.

"I am no flower, and he is not with me. Now I would leave with what little dignity you have left."

He was not going to stand for that, he clenched his fist ready to punch Toph. Before he could Aang caught his hand in his, pushing it back. He then stepped in between him and Toph.

"She isn't interested in you ether, this has nothing to do with you." Using his free hand he punch Aang in the gut. This was retaliated with a kick to the knee.

The guy was not a bender, so Aang didn't think it was fair to use any bending on him. So the fight turned into a childish scuffle. They punched and kicked each other, with no skill. Toph was so embarrassed, this was her first student, and here he was acting like a child.

"Stop it." She tried to get a hold of Aang's arm to hold him back, but he was too quick. "Aang stop..."

Aang was punched in the gut again, sending him back. As he feel back his hand knocked Toph right in the face, knocking her over. She hit the rail, and sharply feel over the side. It all happened so quickly Aang didn't have a chance to react, right away.

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**Again thank you for reading. I hope that you like it. As always I would love to hear what you think, any comments that you have to make. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you for reading. There are four more chapters after this one in this part. I am aiming to have them done by the end of next week. So that means that there should be an up-date every two or three days. I hope that won't make it to boring. **

**I'm a Lover not a Hater. That is very true. **

Toph held tightly onto the last rung on the rail as best she could with her fingertips. The ship had just come into dock, so it should have been essayer to hold on. Toph was reminded of a time she had been in a very similar situation. Fighting back that thought she focused all of her energy onto holding on to the rail. Her last link to the world around her. The rest had faded away from her in the split second that she feel over the rail. She felt the cool metal sipping from her hold and her heart skipped a beat, her breath caught in the throat.

As she lost her grip, she prepared herself for the feeling of hitting the cold water below her. It was going to hurt she knew that much. Instead of feeling pain, just after she stated to fall she felt a strong hand take hold of her wrist. It felt like life came rushing back to her. As Aang pulled her back onto the deck of the ship, Toph couldn't help but think how much safer she felt holding onto Aang's hand than she had done with Sokka.

The guy Aang had been fighting had run off, not wanting to be involved in the aftermath. When Toph was back on deck kneeling in-front of him, Aang pulled her close to him. Burying her head between his chest and arms. They slowly got to their feet, still in an awkward embrace. Eventually Toph pulled apart.

"Are you ok. I'm going to..."

"Stop it Aang I'm fine." The anger in Aang's voice worried Toph. She was scared he was going to go after that guy, do something that he would regret later. Her hands were now tightly gripping his robe to keep her from going after him.

"Who was he." Aang's voice had now become emotionless as he looked from her towards the direction the guy had run off to.

"He is the son of a noble in Ba Sing Sa. He has always been like that."

She was trying to calm Aang down, she could feel his heart rate increasing through her clenched hands holding his robe that rested over his heart. Her words were having the opposite affect that she wanted them too. They were meant to calm him, they just seemed to be making him angrier. The idea that Toph had, had to put up with that guy before was more than he could take right now, after everything else that had happened.

"Toph talk to me"

"What about"

"Just talk. Stop me from losing it."

There was a tone of pleading in his voice that she hadn't heard since he asked her to be his earthbending teacher and come with him and the others. She gave a nod then started to talk about something she was sure would calm him down, Katara and their wedding

"Katara has picked out the material for my robe for the wedding. She says its jade like my eyes, but I will have to take her word for it. Suki said Katara looked beautiful in her wedding robe. She would thou wouldn't she. It's meant to represent the air nomads too. Since she is marrying in to that world." His heart rate was still racing, he hadn't calmed down at all. "If I didn't only feel one heartbeat, I would be sure Suki was caring twins. She is almost twice the weight she was before." She forced out a weak laugh.

A small smile crossed Aang's face. It had been a long time since he heard her laugh. Even this faint attempt at it seemed out of character. "Thanks Toph."

"Are you calm now." There was real concern in her voice.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Good."

Before Aang had a chance to even blink Toph had slapped him right across the face. She took him by surprise and used so much force that she almost knocked him off his feet.

"Don't do that to me ever again!"

Rubbing his check Aang looked her in the eyes. There was anger there that was clear to see, but there was something else. Something more prominent. That made him smile again as he responded.

"You were Worried about me."

"Of course..."

Aang's hands where on either side of her face, pulling her into a kiss, before she could finish what she was saying. To her surprise, and Aang's Toph not only let him kiss her, but she kissed him back. Slowly she lifted her hands to rest on top of his arms. When she regained control of herself, Toph moved her hands sharply towards Aang's chest, pushing him away from her.

"What are you doing. You love Katara, you always have. She is beautiful, smart, kind. You are marrying her for the gods sake!" She started to shake as she spoke, her voice growing louder. Falling back a little she took hold of the rail to steady her.

"I love you."

He was telling her the truth. This was all too much for Toph, she pushed herself off the railing and started to walk away. Aang took hold of her hand at the last minute as she passed him and pulled her over to the stairwell. The same one she pulled them into earlier. This time she remained on the deck, and Aang hid himself in the stairwell.

"You know I'm telling the truth. Toph talk to me." He reached out for her hand, but she felt this and pulled her hand away from him.

"There is nothing to say. Katara is…."

"You are all of those things you said too. Beautiful, smart and kind."

"I was going to say my friend. And no I'm not. We are both marrying other people, we can't change that, we..." She stopped herself. She was going down a train of thought that she never thought she would go down and had to stop herself from going any further. "This is ridicules."

She moved to leave, and he again reached out for her. "No it's not Toph….."

"Toph." For the second time they were interrupted by a male voice, coming toward them. A different one this time.

It pasted her face so quickly, as she turned to face the man, but Aang saw it. Her face fell to a look of despair, before she turned placing a large fake smile on it. "What are you doing here." Her voice came out sounding so sweet, he didn't link it to her at all. He never would have guessed it was her, if her didn't see her mouth moving and eh words coming out.

The new comer was now in-front of her pulling her into a tight hug. Which Toph used as an opportunity to turn him around so he wouldn't see Aang. Aang took a step further back hiding deeper in the stairwell. Still only a few feet away from the pair.

"Cant a man surprise his beautiful fiancé"

"Of course not"

"Good." She placed a stray hair behind her ear, as she leanred in to kiss her lightly on the lips.

When he took his lips from hers, he for a second rested his forehead against hers. "It's a good surprise." She said with a small smile.

Aang could hear the pain in her voice. What made it worse was that this man with his hands on her waist, standing so close didn't, and he never would really understand her. He would never be good enough for her. He hadn't said one word to him. Had only seen him for about a minute, but he could tell that for certain already.

"Now that you are here there is something I want to say."

Aang didn't know how, but he knew what she was going to say wasn't for the man in front of her, but for him instead. Taking a carful step forward he met her eyes, as she did her best to look in his direction.

"I love you...I have always loved you."

A real smile was now placed on Toph's face. As for the first time she was honest with herself. It was little out of the darkness that was her whole life, a bright light had been turned on and she could for the first time see things clearly. Even though she knew what she now saw was in the long run going to hurt her, very badly. She was at this moment just felt happy to final see what had always been there.

Aang smiled too, but he couldn't hold it for long. Like her he knew that this would only last for a moment, then they had to face reality. It also for the first time made him release that Toph may have had feelings for him for as long as he had for her. He always thought that he loved her more and for longer than she had him.

"I don't know why it has taken me so long to realise it, I guess I was just scared."

Her fiancé cared a lot for Toph, he didn't know if it was love or not, but he was deeply touched by what he thought Toph was saying to him. It gave him hope for the future. A future with her and a family of their own.

"It doesn't matter how far apart we are, I will always be yours." Toph found herself being pulled into anther hug.

"That is so sweet."

As soon as her chin rested on his shoulder, the tears she had tried to hold back since she said the last sentence fell. She closed them in a fruitless bid to fight them back. So Aang didn't get the chance to meet her eyes one last time. He knew what she was saying. When he heard the last thing she said, he realised that he had to leave. He was only going to hurt her more if he stayed, and tried to change things. She would never speak of this day to anyone for the rest of her life. With her last words ringing in his ears Aang closed his eyes and thought of a way he could ever make it better for her.

**Thank you for reading, I hope you are enjoying the story and that you will take the time to review. Thanks. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you for reading. **

**I'm a Lover not a Hater. This will be the last what if. It could get a lot worse. It may just have been the best alternative.**

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The world was in perfect balance. The fire lord had been defeated, and the rest of the world started to pull themselves back together. The gang played an important part in this, they were the heroes of the war. They couldn't go anywhere without people recognising them. Sokka loved this, but the others could do without it, epically Toph. They tried to stay together as much as possible. They were all together at Sokka and Suki's wedding, Zuko and Mai's and Aang and Katara's. On the surface they were still the family of misfits they had always been.

In the mission to recapture Azula, Toph was nearly killed. She had been hit with a lighting blot to the chest, knocking her into a lake, where she nearly drowned. Form the second they caught up with the crazed firebender, Toph knew it was going to end badly. The nearby water source was helpful for Katara and Aang, but she was uncomfortable with it. Being near water didn't normally create this feeling of foreboding. So she trusted in it, and she had been right.

It was nearly losing her like that, that made Aang question how he really felt about her. For over a year he kept his growing feelings hidden, from everyone. It had been at his and Katara's engagement party that he let it slip. It was common knowledge that Haru had a crush on Toph, but Aang didn't know how much Haru felt for her till he saw them dancing at the party. He sneaked off, to be by himself. Toph once she realised he had gone went after him. She went solely to get him back in time for the speeches.

They had talked for a while. Toph doing most of the talking. Aang just seemed to want to hear a voice to stop him from thinking too much, but didn't want to be surrounded by al the voice of the celebrations. When Toph mentioned that she always expected she would be married, but that she never imagined she would ever fall in love, or be loved, Aang couldn't stop himself. He told her he loved her.

She didn't say anything after that. She just walked away. They didn't speak again till the day of his wedding to Katara. She tried her best to avoid him, but the idea that he would be someone else's that she could maybe lose the only chance she had at love, made her seek him out. Despite knowing better. Knowing that it could only end badly. Just as she knew the fight with Azula would end badly.

They both knew that he was going to marry Katara, there was no changing that now, but they couldn't change that they loved each other. For the next year Toph was his mistress. There was no other name for it. She hated herself, Katara was her friend, they were like sisters. Aang hated himself to, he was married. The only time when they didn't loath themselves for their action was when they were together. Nothing else seemed to matter then.

No matter how much they both hated themselves for what they were doing, they couldn't stay apart. After a year Toph became pregnant. They had two choices, tell everyone the truth or Toph would pull herself out of their lives. In the end it was Toph who made the finally choice, she didn't even tell Aang what she was going to do. The world needed him too much, for him to be hated.

They next time they were all together, Toph picked a fight with Katara. It wasn't over anything serious, just enough for her to get mad. Everyone took Katara's side, so Toph isolate herself from them with little opposition. She had given Aang an out, if he wanted to take it that was. It turned out he didn't.

It took him half a year to find her. She was livening on the mountain that leads to a platform of earth that is known as where the air kisses the sky. This was the highest point in the earth kingdom. She had built the house herself. When Aang turned up she was happy, but at the same time deeply sad. There was no turning back for them now, they were in this till the end, whatever that may be, bounded together.

Over the next six year Aang spent as much time as he could with Toph and their daughter, Coda. Toph never saw any of the others again. She did miss them, but it was the price she had to pay. He asked her once, why she gave up everything for him. Her answer was, she didn't know she just knew it was right, to be with him just made sense.

Aang was pulled from his thoughts by a voice calling out to him, but it was not his name that they were calling.

"Daddy!"

He opened his eyes to see a five year old girl running towards him. She had bright green eyes, and long black hair. Everything about her appearance reminded him of her mother, but her personality came completely from her father. Her energy and spirit show through in her wide smile.

When she reached him see jumped up into his arms that he had to quickly open to catch her. She wrapped her small arms around his neck, and held on as tightly as she could. Aang closed his eyes to stop himself from crying. Even though she was holding him and he could feel her heartbeat against his chest, her breath on his neck. He was still so scared that she wasn't real. That she would disappear.

About a minute later he slowly opened his eyes. Standing in front of him was Toph. She was wearing one of the warmest smiles he had ever seen her give anyone.

"I didn't know you were coming"

The smile didn't leave her face. She stepped towards the two most important people in her life, wrapping her arms around them, as far as she could. She kissed Aang before she rested her head on his shoulder. "Are you ok."

"Yeah." He whispered, she wasn't convinced.

"Coda, why don't you go, and get the drawing you did for your father."

"Ok!" She all but screamed with excitement.

Aang slowly and very reluctantly lowered the little girl to the ground. As soon as her feet touched the ground she ran as fast as she could back to the house. Aang didn't take his eyes off her, till he saw her enter the house. He was wondering if things had been different, this could have been the child he and Toph lost.

Toph stepped into his line of vision. "Dose she knew." There was a look of real worry on her face, but also acceptance. Like she had been expecting this for a long time.

He didn't know what to say. He had no idea what she was talking about. "Sorry what did you say."

Again she wasn't falling for this "Aang. Dose Katara know about us, is that why you are acting so weird." Her voice now took on her most mothering tone. The one she learned when Coda was born.

"Katara..."

"Yes. Katara, your wife. Aang you're worrying me."

Aang finally looked her in the eyes; he had tried to avoid this as long as he could. Before he had to say something, to explain himself they were interrupted.

"Look, daddy look what I did."

Toph bent down wrapped her arms around Coda's waist, lifting her up, so she could present her drawing to her dad. The drawing was considerably better than anything Sokka ever drew. It was a picture of two figures flying on gliders through the sky, towards the sun. The figures where Aang and Coda. In the bottom of the page, was a cliff, and standing on the edge of the cliff looking at the sun, and the two figures was Toph.

"It's beautiful." A self-satisfied smile now crossed the girls face.

"Better go put it back, so it doesn't blow away." Toph kissed her daughter on the forehead, and then lowered her back onto the ground. When she was in a standing position again, she slipped her hand into Aang's and started to guild him towards the house.

"She is beautiful. She looks just like you." Aang wasn't really aware he was talking out loud.

"I told you not to say that anymore." She rested her head on his shoulder now. Aang looked down at her; he noticed she was wearing her birth mothers necklace, so she knew. That kind of explained her last comment. Urse was always telling Toph that she looked just like her mother; she hated that, because it didn't mean anything to her, and it should.

"Are you sure you're ok, you don't seem like yourself."

This wasn't like her. She normally would have just asked him the say question again and again till she got an answer. She seemed to be changing her tact to get an answer. Something she must have learned to deal with Coda. To try and stop her worrying and to change the subject. Aang stopped walking, wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up, then pulled her into a kiss. He even dipped when she had her feet back on the ground, to try and show her that he was fine. He didn't know why he did this.

"I'm just a little tired, that's all." He forgot that she could tell when he was lying, and he was lying to her now.

A sad smile appeared on her face. "If you're tired, then I know what you need. Tea, infused with lavender, come on." She pulled him along towards the house.

The house had one large room at the heart of it, with a large table and a kitchen area. There were four other doors that lead off from the main one. The One on the far left was Coda's room, next to it was Toph's room. On the right was a bathroom, and a room that Toph kept her books, plants, herbs in like a kind of study. Like the one her mother had at her father's house.

On the wall facing the door, was the picture Coda had just shown Aang. It was the closest they would get to a family portrait. The second they entered the house Coda ran up to her father, indicating that she wanted to be lifted up. Toph didn't take it personally that Coda had run right past her to get to Aang, she knew how important he was to her, and how hard it was that he wasn't there very often. Toph was sure that Coda was going to be an airbender, while that thought scared her, it also made her happy. It would be something to bond the father and daughter together more.

She walked over to join the rest of the family "Your father is tired, so I'm going to make him my special tea. There's no lavender thou, so will you go get some for me." As she spoke she took Coda into her arms, and lowered her onto the floor.

"Can I help you make daddy's tea."

"If you hurry up, and get the lavender." The smile and gentle tone, stopped Toph's words from becoming a command.

Coda now turned to look up at her father "I'm a big help to mummy, just like you said." With that she ran out of the house. Which had more to do with showing off to her father, than helping her mother.

Toph had planted a patch of lavender a few feet from the house, so Coda would be back soon. That only gave them a few minutes along. Aang turned to look at Toph, and found she was facing his direction. "What is going on, there is something you're not telling me."

He knew this tone well. She hadn't softened fully it seemed.

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**Hope you liked it. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey. Thanks for reading I hope that you like it. **

**I'm a Lover not a Hater. That is a good point he could have. That would have been the better option. It would just have been the less interesting to write.**

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The only noise in the entire house was the wind, as a large breeze blew in through the window. Blowing Toph's lose hair into her eyes, and she still didn't move an inch. Her eyes that where now slightly covered by hair, and had a tendency to normally wonder, stayed fixed on the same spot. The silent man in-front of her.

"I will wait as long as it takes for you to give me an answer." There was a gentle teasing tone to her voice, but it couldn't hid the firm tone underneath.

Letting out a sigh of annoyance, Toph walked towards Aang. When she reached him she took his right hand into hers. "Tell me. We promised that no matter what, we would always be honest with each other." She gave his hand a squeeze. "Tell me or I will beat it out of you." Her tone was not threating, but that didn't take away from her sincerity in what she said.

Aang opened his month to say anything, anything at all. He really didn't know what was going to come out. What did end up coming out was a question he had wanted to ask Toph for years. "Why do you stay with me, when all I do is bring you pain." He slowly took his hand out of hers.

He didn't really expect an answer that would do him or anyone any good, make things any clearer. He in fact was not really asking this question to the girl in-front of him. He was asking it to the one that somewhere out there was sleeping in their bed. Waiting for him, needing him.

"Aang..."

"I don't deserve you."

The pain in his voice was so clear, it brought out Toph's most nurturing instincts. She wanted to take him in her arms, to comfort him. She put on as much of a fake smile as she could muster onto her face as she spoke again. "The avatar, who saved the world isn't good enough for a blind girl." Her efforts to make light of the now tense situation was in vain. Unknown to her, her words were too similar to ones Aang had heard before, from her.

Aang looked into her eyes. "You are more than that, much more and you know that. You are a warrior, an herbal..."

"Aang please."

Her hands now rested on the top of his arms. He didn't think he had seen her look so concerned about him before. Aang matched her position, placing his hands on the top of her arms as well. He never took his eyes off, of hers. He thought they looked greener than they normally did.

"You are the bravest warrior, the gentlest healer. The strongest most talented bender and the most beautiful girl...women. I have ever met. All I have ever done is cause you pain. You got dragged into this, nearly killed, because of me." His grip on her arms had now tightened, as her arms fell to her side.

The tears he had wanted to cry since he saw Toph, his Toph sleeping in the bed that morning, finally feel. Toph lifted her arms, again to wrap around his waist, pulling him into hug. She let him cry on her shoulder, letting out whatever it was that he had been holding inside. She felt their daughter returning to the house, lavender in hand. Turning her head to the left, facing the window, she moved her face into an expression Coda would recognised. As the girl passed the window, she met her mother's eyes, and turned back to play outside a little longer. Giving her parents some space.

Once he had stopped crying after only a few seconds, he was always very good at controlling himself and his emotions. He had to be as the avatar after all. She decided to give him an answer. The only answer she could think to give him that he might understand.

"I love you...that is the only reason I have for you." She flashed him a small smile. "It's not much, but it's all I have for you. The only way I can explain it. And that is enough for me. How about you."

"I love you to, more than you know. But I keep hurting you..." He was now looking at her again right in the eyes. She felt him looking right through her. No one else could ever do that.

"You have never deliberately hurt anyone in your life, and you never would. I know that. You have given me the two most important things in my life. Coda and my freedom...When you love someone you give them control of your heart, it's bound to get hurt a little bit... I trust you." She wasn't sure who had told her that, but it made sense. Whoever it was she was grateful she would never have been able to come up with something that mushy.

Her hands slowly sled from his back, to his neck as she pulled his head closer to her. As they kissed, Aang's hand moved from Toph's back to run through her hair. Both of them forgot that Coda could come running through the door at any minute. Aang took a step forward, knocking Toph into the table behind her, as the kiss deepen he lowered Toph on to the table.

After a few seconds he pulled away for a brief second. As he looked down at Toph,her eyes were closed for a second. An image flashed across his mind. Toph lying in their bed sleeping, with a peaceful look on her face. Aang slowly pulled further apart. In response Toph moved to sit up on the table. "You have something on your mind." There was no anger in her voice, which surprised Aang a little.

"Yeah." He couldn't bring himself to look at her.

She was silent for a few minutes, as she bit her lip, and came to a decision "You need to sort things out. Why don't you just take off on your glider and travel for a few days. You will be back here in sixteen days anyway." He gave her a confused look. "Coda keeps count." She jumped off the table, and kissed him on the check "You better go before she gets back. The longer your here that harder it is when you have to leave."

Placing his right hand on the back of her head, Aang pulled Toph in for one last kiss "When I do come back, can we forget that I ever came this time." For an answer she just nodded.

Once he left Toph fell back against the table holding onto it to keep her standing. She had never known him to act like this, it was like he wasn't really there. All she could do was hope that he would have sorted himself out before he came back. It wasn't just Coda it was hard on, when Aang left. Toph missed him too, more than she ever thought it was possible to miss someone. She just put up with it, because she saw it as her fate. She couldn't not be with him, and no one should get to be as happy as she was when he was there, all of the time, so it had to balance out.

Aang didn't realise he was running till he came to the trees. He slumped down under one, and closed his eyes. The only thing on his mind was Toph, his Toph. He saw her the way she was when they first met, her earthbending on the day of black sun, dresses up like a doll for some formal occasion. How beautiful she looked the day they got married again, on the platform where the air kisses the earth. All he wanted to do was get back to her, hold her in his arms, let her know that whatever the future held, they would face it together.

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**I hope that you like it. There are only two chapters left in this part of the story. I haven't looked over them in while. So I may add them together I don't know. Either way there is not much left and I should be done by the end of the week. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello thank you for reading. This is the last chapter in this part of the story. So I hope that you like it. **

**I'm a Lover not a. I think he has, it took him long enough. Yeas and no. it does bother me a little. However as this is a rewrite and the story was never that popular in the first place I am kind of used to it so I does upset me as much as it used to. Yes I write a reply to any review that I get. thank y****ou.**

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When Aang opened his eyes he was in the spirit world. He knew this because all around him was blue and clear. Like the sky on a bright summer day. Taking a minute before he forced himself to deal with what was next. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again standing in front of him was avatar Roku. With a blank expression on his face. Giving noting away of what was next, what he would say or do.

"It took you longer than I would have expected for you to learn your lesson."

Aang couldn't bring himself to look his past life in the eyes. He kept his head lowered, looking down at his feet. "I don't think I have learned anything."

All of this self-pitting, was staring to anger Roku. He saw no other way than to spell it out for Aang. In a way where there could be no confusing what he meant. "Aang what was the one thing that was always the same. In all the different realities. Something was always the same."

Roku was gently trying to get him to find the answer out for himself. He himself hadn't figured this out till he had passed on. Then it was too late for him to benefit from it, not that he had really needed to. Things were different this time, the time may come when Aang needed to know the truth. The safety of the entire world could depend on it. There was no time to wait for the avatar to come out of this self-pity.

"I don't know...it was always Toph that I met." Aang didn't what to think any more about what he had just see. He just wanted to see Toph again, his Toph. The girl he had seen in a vision before seeing her for real. The girl that he had married, twice. The girl he had spelt next to, holding her against his cheat as she cried and there was nothing he could do to help. Just hold her. "We were. Always ...I don't know…..we always carried for each other." He didn't want to say love that was too strong a word. He didn't think it was possible that he could say that she had loved him in each of realities that he had seen.

A faint smile crossed the past life's face. "That is correct. There is a reason for that. A very important reason." Aang now lifted his gaze from his feet, to the person in front of him. "A power as great as the one you hold can't be left unchecked. That is why the full power of the avatar spirit is split in two." As he spoke a yin yang symbol appeared in between them, it split in two. "The other half goes in to what is known as the fated spirit."

"So there is someone out there that is... ...the other half of me." Aang was doing his best to contemplate the idea that there was someone out there that was such a large part of him. That he in a way was only half a person.

"Yes. The fated spirit is born to the same nation as the avatar. They are unable to bend, and the opposite sex. They are the human element of the avatars power. Mine was Ta min, and avatar Kuruk had Ummi."

None of this made any sense to Aang and it was making less sense as Roku went on. "But there are no other air nomads, my fated spirit died..."

"In a way that is true, but when it appeared that you would return to the world, the other half of the avatar spirit was placed into another. It was clear to accomplish all that you had to do, in such a short period of time, you would need more help. That is why your fated spirit is not just the opposite gender, but also from the earth kingdom. The greatest opposite to you as it was possible to get."

Aang was racking his brain trying to think of any girl from the earth kingdom that was about the same age as him but the only person that would come to his mind was. "Toph."

"You are catching on."

"But she is a bender, the best earthbend..."

Ruko let out a large sigh. "There is a reason for that. When it seemed that you would not be able to return to the world, the decision was made to continue the avatar cycle." Aang was now more confused than he was when Roku had started to speaking "This demi avatar would only be able to unlock their full potential, if at the age of sixteen, you had not returned and only if it was truly needed. When the time came this was able to be avoided."

"What happened to them." Aang had always wanted to learn as much as he could about his past lives, now he wanted to learn all he could about his reincarnation that he hadn't even known about till just know.

"She was a waterbender from the southern water tribe. This was done to avoid her existence being found out. Her name was Hama." Roku knew full well the reaction Aang was going to have to that name. "Having all that power and being unable to use it, played a part in the way she turned out." There was no more he could say. Slight guilt was clear in his voice.

"What does she have to do with Toph being a fated spirit, and able to bend." Roku could see that Aang was putting the pieces together for himself. He just couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. Didn't want to admit what he knew. Except all that it would mean. Not just for him, but for her as well.

"You needed all the help that it was possible to be given to you..."

"What did you do to her!" In the total silence around them Aang's voice encoded louder than he had intended it to.

"Toph posies the ability to bend all four elements. She also has a strong understanding of the balance of the elements, as the fated spirit. This enables her to be the strongest earthbender in the world, and help you do your duty, without having it consumes her." Roku saw Aang clenching his fists. The idea that Toph was more caught up in all of this than he had originally thought all because of him was too much. "She is a very special person. There has never been anyone else like her in the world. You must also remember that she has the potential to be even more powerful than you. If the power she holds is unlocked. The chances of that are very slim, but take care of her. Despite all her power and strength, she is very fragile."

That thought, question had always been in the back of Aang head that for someone so strong, brave reckless and stubborn Toph looked like she could break if a strong wind hit her. He now felt that he had the answer to that question. Things seemed to make a little more sense to him now. Like a fog had been lifted and he could see clearly for the first time in a long time. Just like when he was told he was the avatar, he felt that he had always know this, he just had to hear it from someone else. To have it confirmed.

"I think it is time you went back, to the real world. I have faith in you." With that Roku was gone.

The clear blue that had surrounded them, now turned to memories of Aang's. It was as if he was watching moments from his life from the outside. All of the memories were about Toph.

He saw Toph, and himself bending in perfect sync, to get through to see the earth king. Himself looking over at Toph standing on Appa's saddle on her own, as everyone else said their goodbyes on the day of black sun. That had been the first time it hit him, that she was really on her own. He saw as he sat on top of a wall, watching Toph run past in her wedding dress. She was running away from her wedding to Zuko. That was the first time it hit him how beautiful she really was.

The last thing he saw, was himself taking hold of Toph's hand. She had asked if friendships could transcend lifetimes, he told her he didn't see why not. It hit him now, that maybe she had, had a feeling all along that she had been in this world before. She always was the first one to pick up on things. Displaying a great deal of empathy, that was surprising coming from her hard nature. He wanted to yell out to himself to tell her that he knew now for a fact that friendship's, love can transcend lifetimes, but he no sound came out of his mouth. Once the vision vanished all around him went black.

Aang expected that his eyes would have to adjust to the light of the sun, but there was no sun. The sun had set a few hours ago. The only light now was the light that came from the moon, and the stars. A cool wind blow, blowing a few cherry blossoms off of the tree he sat under.

One of the cherry blossoms landed in Aang's hand, he slowly closed his hand around it. A warm feeling washed over him. Slowly he got to his feet, he looked forward to his and Toph's house. There was still a light coming from the house, it was small, and faint and only came for one room, the main room. Smoothing down his robe before he started to walk forward, to his home, he felt something in his pocket.

Pulling out the object he found two small oracle bones tied together by a thin rope. They had been a gift to him form Aunt Wu from his second visit to her. He didn't know how they had found their way into his pocket. Her fortune about finding love had come true. This led him to remember her other fortune, warning. About a darkness that would ruin all that he and his friends had built if it was allowed to be unleashed. He also remembered a little of Toph's fortune about a great force being held and breaking free. All of that at the time had seemed so far away. Like it was so irrelevant. Now it seemed all too important. Now it made sense.

Still holding the cherry blossom in his hand as well as the rical bones Aang walked towards the house. The closer he got the more tired he became, he felt like his legs where sinking into the earth beneath him. He slowly slide that door open, he was trying to be as quiet as he could. There was a large couch that faced the door, Toph lay sleeping on it. She was waiting for him, and had fallen asleep. A warm smile appeared on the avatars face.

He walked to stand in front of her; he knelled down, kissed her forehead. Then placed the cherry blossom in her hair. She had a peaceful look on her face. He wanted to wake her up, tell her everything that he had just learned, but it could wait till she woke. He didn't have the heart to wake her, when she looked so peaceful.

It was a cold night; he got up and moved to the back of the couch to get the blanket to place over her. Looking over he noticed that the fire place to his right had burned out. Walking over to it he bent the dyeing embers back to life. It was that he remembered the oracle bones. They has been given to him to help guide him when he felt the most lost. This was the closest truly feeling lost that he had ever felt. Without thinking much about it, he threw that bones into the fire.

A blue cloud of small grew out of the fire. Turing a bright green as it did. Looking into the smoke all he could make out what looked like a mountain. As he watched it, it seemed that he was getting closer to whatever was being show to him. A large stone building came into view in the background. In the foreground stood a tree. He realised that he recognised the building. It was the southern air temple. The tree he didn't understand. At that part of the air temple he did not remember a tree, at least not one that tall.

He blinked at the smoke just disappeared, blow away. Aang wasn't distressed by this. He understood what he had seen. He was seeing the air temple, the tree as it was now. Having been over a year since had seen it last. It was a tree that had grown from the seed that Toph had been given be Aunt Wu. It was meant to be planted where she chose to put down he roots. She chose to do that at his childhood home. This gave him hope that whatever they faced in the future they could get through it together.

When he looked back at the couch at her he realise how wide it was. Toph was on the very edge, there was enough room for him, to fit in between her back, and the back of the couch. She was so close to the edge she may fall off, and if he tried to move her she may wake up. The only thing he could do was to slip in next to her, and hold her to stop her from falling. Getting to be close to her after at what felt life a hundred years was just an extra benefit.

As he lay next to her, he placed his arm gently over her side as not to wake her. His hand grazed over her stomach, and then he placed it back. She may be pregnant right now, this maybe the first contact he had with his child. He wondered if it was a girl, would she be anything like Coda. Then the fear kicked in, what if he lost Toph. Again the thought came to him; how someone so small, tiny could possess all that power, and strength. It was that mystery that he loved most about her. She was never simple. His hand now travelled up to rest over her heart, it was beating, still in perfect time with his own. Now he fully understood why that was. Understanding didn't make it any less special or magical.

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**This is the last chapter of this story, so I hope you liked it. I used the idea of Toph being reincarnated that is very popular with taang fans as inspiration for this, for the whole story really. If you have read all the other parts before this one, then I hope you may have picked up on some hints I put in.**

**If just one person that has read the whole story from part one, would really answer these question I would be so so happy. As I haven't got many reviews I don't know what you the readers think of some things in the story and I would love to know. **

**What do you think of bonebending, I thought it was an interesting idea? Does it work for you, or did it seem really silly. **

**Toph's bending. I tried to make her as balanced as Katara, who has healing and bloodbending. Does it work, or did it seem I was just trying to make her more powerfully.**

**Toph's new back story. Was it interesting to change her story, to have a birth mother that died, I though it explained her a little better, why she is so keen on fighting. **

**I killed off Mai, Iroh and Toph had a miscarriage. Dose any of that seem forced, did it annoy you. **

**The fated spirit idea was planned from the star, did it work. Does it make sense. Does it seem like something I have just added to the story now. **

**Are the characters in character, do they ever do anything that seems out of character.**

**What is your favourite part, out of all 17 of them so far. **

**Do you have a favourite scene, or line or moment that you really liked. **

**Please if just one person would honestly answer these questions I would be so happy. Please, please. **

**I should say that the next part is the action climax of the story, with the part after that the emotional climax and then an epilogue after that. **


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